Course Overview: Music

The Music Curriculum at Cardinal Allen Catholic High School enables pupils to perform, listen to, review and evaluate music across a range of historical periods, genres, styles and traditions. Pupils will build on their previous knowledge and skills through performing, composing and listening. Pupils are taught how to play and perform using their voices and by learning the basics of a wide range of classroom instruments. They also learn to improvise and compose as well as to listen to music critically with an awareness of context. The varied nature of the course enables students to develop highly-desirable skills in areas such as self-management, teamwork, problem-solving, and communication.

Each week the department is visited by six peripatetic instrumental teachers and we have a varied and dynamic extra-curricular programme. We currently offer extra music tuition in piano, strings, woodwind, brass, drum-kit, guitar and vocals. Please contact the music department for further details on musical tuition.

Year 7

Half Term 1

Bridging Unit

Pupils explore the elements of music through a series of listening and composition tasks. Pupils work in groups to develop their group work skills and create a composition based on Mussorgsky’s ‘Pictures at an Exhibition’.

Half Term 2

Keyboards

Pupils start with the basics of reading music notation and applying it on the keyboards. Pupils progress at their own rate through a series of interactive tasks. For those with previous piano or keyboard skills, a differentiated keyboard course is followed to allow further progress.

Half Term 3

Instruments of the Orchestra

Pupils explore the instruments of the orchestra and develop their listening skills through a series of practical and appraising tasks.

Half Term 4

The Voice

Pupils explore how the voice works through a series of vocal exercises and practical group tasks.

Music and the Film

Pupils are introduced to film music and compose music to reflect different atmospheres.

Half Term 5

Song Writing

Pupils look at lyric writing and how to successfully compose a melody in a popular style. Some groups will go on to look at harmony and the exploiting the use of the voice as an instrument.

Half Term 6

Ukulele

Pupils will begin by learning basic chords as a whole class before working on a simple vocal and ukulele group performance.

Year 8

Half Term 1

World Music

Pupils will explore music from around the world to include a focus on music from Japan. Pupils will appraise, compose and perform in several different musical styles to include gamelan, African drumming, Samba and music from Japan.

Half Term 2

Blues

Pupils will be studying Blues music and develop their historical understanding, notation reading and keyboard skills. They will start to understand how chords are made up and apply their skills in paired group work which will also include an element of composition through improvisation.

Half Term 3

Music and the Media

Pupils will learn about the importance of music in films and how it is created. There will be relevant links to demonstrate the growth of the creative industries in the UK.

Pupils will compose music to create different atmospheres in films.

Pupils will look at the development in gaming music and compose music in the genre.

Electronic Dance Music

Pupils will look at the development of this genre though time. They will use music software to create their own dance track.

Half Term 4

Ukulele Revisited (3 weeks)

Pupils will learn how to read ukulele tab and work on RockSchool Ukulele debut grade up to grade 3 dependant on ability.

Band Work 1

Pupils will be following the Musical Futures ‘Rock Bands’ project. They will learn how to play the basics of all rock instruments before coming together in groups to create their version of a simple rock song.

Half Term 5

Band Work 1 continued

Pupils will be following the Musical Futures ‘Rock Bands’ project. They will learn how to play the basics of all rock instruments before coming together in groups to create their version of a simple rock song.

Half Term 6

Bridging Unit to GCSE

Pupils will work on a final project. This can be working as either a performer or a producer. They may choose to continue their band project, to do a solo performance or to work as a music producer to create a sequenced performance.